The shock from Germany’s 2-0 loss to Slovakia in the European qualifiers is not going to wear off anytime soon. Having captained the German side, Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich did not hold back in admitting the blunders of his team. Squarely placing the blame on attitude before anything else, Kimmich however still holds faith that a comeback is surely possible.
Quality vs Attitude?
Most are well aware of the saying that it’s not the size of the dog but the fight of the dog that matters. That plays out accurately
in life and sport is no exception. Self-belief and initiative driven by it, can often outdo better quality without the former attributes. That was on show once again where 52nd ranked Slovakia wiped the floor with Germany who are ranked 9th in the FIFA ratings.
Let’s not forget that the World Cup always brings with it small dogs that put up a massive fight. Snuffing out teams that show a lot of spirit is an art to be mastered if Germany has ambitions beyond the group stages, a feat it has failed to achieve twice in a row. Captain Joshua Kimmich laid the blame squarely at these exact traits that were missing against Slovakia. After the game he said(via @iMiaSanMia) “You can always talk about quality or system, but today it wasn’t about that. It was about other factors, and that shouldn’t happen to us. We saw today that even if the opponent supposedly has less quality than you, you can still lose if you don’t bring the right attitude to the pitch.”
Is there an easy fix to Germany’s problems?
Kimmich was blunt when it came to what must change in the next game. “We’re all aware that today was very bad. We have two days now, everyone should take a look at themselves and think. I’m convinced we’ll show a reaction and a completely different attitude in the next game”.
But, in this case it is not clear whether that alone would be sufficient, if even possible to the extent the captain wants to see happen. The questionable choices from Julian Nagelsmann coupled with a gunk that has developed in the team culture is hampering the way the four time world champions are functioning. Because, players who do well at club stage also falter severely when it comes to representing Germany. Yes, an attitude adjustment of sorts is necessary, but a deeper look is required for a long term solution to bring glory back to Die Mannschaft.
The German national team hit the road to face Slovakia, looking to get off on the right foot for this round of World Cup qualifier action.
That did not happen.
Julian Nagelsmann — as he is prone to do — did some experimenting with his lineup and it did not work as the team dropped a 2-0 decision. The players were bad, the coaching was not great, and it was not a banner effort overall.
There is plenty to discuss from this match, so let’s get to it. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
- A look at the starting XI.
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.
- Some final thoughts and takeaways on the match.
